A Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) swims by a shark cage. Image taken off of Geyser Rock and Seal Island on one of the licensed shark encounter boats out of Gansbaai, South Africa.
These giant sharks are the largest predatory fish, growing to over 6m/20ft in length and weighing over 2000 kiligrams. Great white sharks' reputation as ferocious predators is well-earned, yet they are not (as was once believed) indiscriminate "eating machines". They typically hunt using an "ambush" technique, taking their prey by surprise from below. Studies have shown that the shark attacks most often in the morning, within 2 hours after sunrise. The reason for this is that it is hard to see a shark close to the bottom at this time.